Council seem to have a problem with the word "catastrophe"

The Beagle Editor, Your water situation.

I note that Eurobodalla Council is now advising residents of Eurobodalla Shire about the parlous state of Deep Creek Dam.

The weekly figures on their information page in "The Beagle" today indicate that the water level in Deep Creek is dropping by about 2% per week. Doesn't sound like much, does it? Let's just do some basic mathematics,  will we?

Say the water level has now dropped to 60% or thereabouts and continues to drop by 2%. That means you have 30 weeks of water left if it doesn't rain. That is a bit more than half a year (26 weeks for the not mathematically inclined)

!!!! Not much really.

If you then combine that with what is happening in the Deua River (where the Deep Creek water comes from) and the increasingly hot days (more evaporation from the surface) and the tourists who are about to descend for Christmas and January, I'd say you are all on the verge of a water catastrophe. I don't see this Council acknowledging that since they seem to have a problem with the word "catastrophe".

I have lived on the Deua River for forty years and I have never seen it this bad. Residents are already buying water and Summer has barely started. There will need to be a huge amount of rain to raise the water level in the river to the point where water can again be pumped into Deep Creek.

In the meantime, you might like to adopt a few water-saving measures like turning the tap off while you are cleaning your teeth, not flushing your toilet for Number Ones, not changing your clothes after half a day's wear and insisting they then be washed, showering every two days, washing your dishes in the sink instead of the dishwasher.  

You might also investigate whether you can install a water tank on your property so that you are ready for the next Big Dry. Check with Council. They are bound to have problems with the aesthetics of tanks.  

Good luck! 

Anne Rault

Deua River Valley  NSW 2537